Pretzels, treats and reflections during a staycation (7 Quick Takes) July 2, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I took this past week off from work for a sort of staycation with my boys.
When life gives you lemons, serve ice cream cake July 1, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Sometimes when life gives you lemons, you push them down the garbage disposal and make your own fun.
The Tale of a Trumpet June 28, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window One of the most wonderful gifts of being a parent is watching your children discover their passions and then pour themselves into them.
Who’s ready for a summer party? June 22, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Outdoor parties are one of my favorite things to come out of the pandemic.
Good, Good Father June 14, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window A few weeks ago, 5-year-old Christian Oakes said to his father, “Hey, Dad, I’ve got a good song just for you.” As Christian played the song, he would give his father a little smile. Brian was a little mystified because he had never heard the song before. He asked Christian where he had found the […]
Road trip, stolen Cheetos, baby bunnies, and muffin tops (7 Quick Takes) June 11, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Last weekend, we hit the road as a family and drove to New York to visit my sister Maureen and her four amazing children.
No worries, Kate. I’ve been there, too. June 7, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Anyone who’s ever parented a 4-year-old knows that moment. You’re in line at the grocery store or sitting in a pew at church or attending your husband’s grandmother’s platinum jubilee when your child starts acting out.
The first swim of the season, visiting friends, and a crocheted frog (7 Quick Takes) June 5, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Happy Pentecost! Happy birthday to the Church! Here are a few highlights from our week. ~1~ One of my goals every summer is to make sure our sons get some swimming time. One night this week our friends invited us to come to their house to enjoy their pool, so our boys had their first […]
That bad grade in Chemistry May 30, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It was a rainy Sunday afternoon when my father knocked on our door. He handed me a sheet of test scores from Mrs. Dougherty’s fourth-grade class, a dog’s license we had apparently never attached to her collar, and a report card from my first semester of college. Now, I was never a summa cum laude […]
Old Bay Goldfish, treats on the grill, and thoughts on prayer (7 Quick Takes) May 28, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Here in Baltimore, we take our Old Bay seriously. We put it on many foods—pizza and scrambled eggs and tuna melts and pasta and corn on the cob. Yum.
A lost tortoise comes home May 22, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window This story starts with a birthday wish and ends with a miracle.
Yard sales, a B2 Spirit bomber, and a backyard scavenger hunt (7 Quick Takes) May 21, 2022By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window ~1~ Our neighborhood held its annual yard sale this weekend. Before I married John, I am not sure I had ever even gone to a yard sale. But John really enjoys selling things. He especially loves the neighborhood yard sale because we get to see neighbors that we haven’t seen all winter—and meet a few […]
